Trails By State

Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness - Arizona

Winding on a serpentine course through the rim of the Colorado Plateau, Wet Beaver Creek twists through a steep-walled canyon of Supai sandstone and shale. Beyond lovely red cliffs in the lower section, the canyon widens and opens onto the Verde River. It originates about 12 miles east of the Beaver Creek Ranger Station at an elevation of about 6,200 feet and enters the Verde near 3,000 feet. Here you'll find pristine riparian habitat dominated by cottonwoods, sycamores, and alders. Wet Beaver Creek is one of Arizona's finest and rarest natural resources: a perennially flowing desert stream. The year-round waters attract large numbers of wildlife: elk and deer, bears and lions, smaller mammals, reptiles, and birds.

Two major trails, Apache Maid (9.5 miles) and the more popular Bell (10.8 miles), offer easy access to the rim country. Down in the canyon the hiking is fairly easy. Many visitors come to picnic, hike, or fish for trout and bass.